Gateshead health provider applauds free training

Free skills training has helped a health organisation revolutionise the way it develops staff and delivers key community services.

Team Valley-based CBC Health provides several vital services, including extended evening and weekend access to GP services, as well as out of hours care.

The training, which has been delivered to 24 staff by Hartlepool-based Amacus, improved their appraisal skills and has seen a wave of benefits. CBC staff have been able to support others with their continued professional development (CPD), through identifying areas for staff to improve and giving them constructive feedback. Amacus also introduced SMART techniques – a way of setting measurable objectives to monitor and improve staff performance.

Focusing on the roles and responsibilities of appraisers and increasing the understanding of why effective appraisal is needed, Amacus, created the bespoke programme to reflect the training needs of CBC Health.

The organisation undertook the training as part of regional skills and enterprise programme, Go>Grow, a scheme headed up by Gateshead College, which Amacus is a subsidiary of, in partnership with over 30 local training providers. The initiative offers free training which is designed to help the region’s businesses and individuals upskill.

Elizabeth Orr, quality and governance manager at CBC Health, said: “Having worked with Amacus in the past, we were confident that they could create a tailormade course to help staff develop key competencies in appraisal skills.

“With the help of Amacus, we have been able to show our commitment to investing in staff, while also coming away with new techniques to meet objectives and improve personal performance.”

Sarah Ainslie, business development manager at Amacus, said: “It has been great to work alongside CBC Health to deliver a bespoke programme, responsive to their needs.

“The training that we have provided will ensure that staff have the same level of understanding and confidence going forward. It also means that they will be more adept at carrying out appraisals and will be able to help staff with their ongoing CPD.”

Ivan Jepson, director of business development at Gateshead College, said: “It’s great to see the new-found confidence that CBC staff have because they have taken advantage of the free training on offer.

“The Go>Grow scheme is helping to make training more accessible for individuals and businesses across the North East – which, in turn is helping to strengthen workforces across the region with new skills and experience.”

Go>Grow, which has the backing of the North East Local Enterprise Agency and the North East England Chamber of Commerce, was launched after Gateshead College secured £15m funding from the European Social Fund (ESF).

Experts involved in the initiative then work to develop training that is tailored to meet the needs of businesses and individuals. This is delivered within the premises of the business, or at one of over 30 partner training sites.

CBC Health was launched in 2006 by Gateshead GP’s aiming to provide NHS healthcare and services to the Gateshead community. In 2012, the not-for-profit service expanded to incorporate several different areas and to provide a stronger system that would deliver integrated NHS services to residents across Gateshead.